Why the thrifts are empty.

[bangles66]

I had a yard sale (sorry no games for sale) yesterday getting rid of alot of stuff in the wake of the remodeling project about to take place.

When I was finished everything that didn't sell, books some glasses and some odd stuff went to goodwill. Well after I brought in the boxes and was waiting for my receipt I asked the clerk (hoping to get on the inside) if they had any video games like atari? her response, basically she's was looking for them too. WELL if the clerks at these stores are gobbling up all the classics as they come in it's no wonder I and most of us can't find anything at the thrifts.

 

I guess I didn't ask she either wants them for herself or husband/boyfriend or to sell on e-bay.

 

This maybe why we see so much more on ebay and less in the thrifts.

 

I think if you don't mind working for minimuim wage you might want to try to get a job at a thrift.

 

This happens at all stores, I know I had a contact at toys r us about ten years ago and anything I wanted that was coming out collectable wise he would put aside and I'd just go in see him and he'd go in the back get it and i'd just go pay for it. So the rule is make a contact at these stores.

 

This is not as easy sometime as it sounds, but give it a try.

[christianscott]

sometimes i see some way overpriced genesis sports game in a thrift and then i'm amazed to see that some one bought it! like $8 for madden 92, or a copy of atari ET that goes in a day, who is buying these things?

 

i think another big reason is just that its been so long since atari was out that 90% of them have already been yard saled or thrifted. people are less likely to donate NES and up when they can funco it, or of course ebay it themselves. its weird though, two source of mine have had all their atari commons bought out recently, somebody is out there.

[Cap5750]

The funcolands around here...which are now gamespot or something like that no longer carry any Atari stuff.

 

I'm one of those who is probably overpaying for stuff on epray right now, but I'd rather do that then not be able to find anything at all.

 

For example, I just paid $202.50 for a 4 switch woody, set of paddles, set of keyboard controllers and 46 games. Okay, so Waterworld was of them, but even still. I never imagined I'd spend that kind of money on ANYTHING Atari.

 

Cap

[bangles66]

christianscott, I agree with you on that many of the atari games have been already gobbled up from yard sales and thrifts, I even said that before in another thread. I don't think there is much left. I've travled all over the us and parts of canada and the atari pickings are usually pretty slim. Another thing is ebay, so many people are trying to sell thier stuff on ebay alot never makes it to the thrifts, and as I said if the thrift workers are taking the stuff either for themselves or for ebay we can see why there is little stuff at the thrifts.

 

I think that NES is the next collectable thing that we can try to find.

 

As far as paying alot for games I WON'T. Even for a high rarity game, I'm more for collecting for the art of playing, if I happen to find a 9 or 10 at a thrift or yardsale GREAT.

[Gunstar]

For example, I just paid $202.50 for a 4 switch woody, set of paddles, set of keyboard controllers and 46 games. Okay, so Waterworld was of them, but even still. I never imagined I'd spend that kind of money on ANYTHING Atari.

 

Cap

 

Now that's about the saddest thing I have ever heard...I recently (within the last month) picked up a 4 switch woody with two working joysticks, two sets of paddles and 20 games for $4.99 at Goodwill!!! I cleaned it up and it looks and works like new...I never would spend that kind of money on 2600 stuff...man you got ripped hard-core. Sorry.

[Cap5750]

Gunstar,

 

Thanks for your opinion. But didn't you notice the mention of the Swordquest Waterworld? I could easily get my money back and then some if I posted it by itself to epray. Something I won't do, but I could.

 

Another thing. Telling someone they got ripped off? Well if a toenail collector needed only Elvis toenails to complete his collection and he found some but they cost $100,000.00 and he paid it, I'd hardly call him ripped off. It's called supply and demand. The supply was low, it was there where he could see it and he demanded it. Simple.

 

Also, I could say you got ripped off. I got a 2600, 7800, Starpath Supercharger with 4 games, ~40 7800 carts and ~100 2600 carts for nothing from a co-worker a few years ago, so there.

 

Cap

[hattg]

Well, I haven't found a lot of games around here lately, especially Atari, but I did pick up a working Vectrex in excellent condition the other day at a thrift for the awesome price of $6.98!!!!

 

Been keeping an eye out for some time for one, figuring eventually I might see one. It had even been marked down from $14.98, which means it had been there for at least a week probably.

 

Now the tough decision is do I keep it since they are actually pretty cool looking, and I got such a great deal on it? Or do I sell it to finance other stuff I want?

 

Decisions decisions

[bangles66]

KEEP IT!

 

I'd love to find a vetrex.

 

I only sell/trade stuff I have doubles of.

 

I learned along time ago NEVER get rid of something you might want later, becasue you might not find another or have to pay alot more than you did for the vetrex.

[Gunstar]

Gunstar,

 

 Thanks for your opinion. But didn't you notice the mention of the Swordquest Waterworld? I could easily get my money back and then some if I posted it by itself to epray. Something I won't do, but I could.

 

 Another thing. Telling someone they got ripped off? Well if a toenail collector needed only Elvis toenails to complete his collection and he found some but they cost $100,000.00 and he paid it, I'd hardly call him ripped off. It's called supply and demand. The supply was low, it was there where he could see it and he demanded it. Simple.

 

 Also, I could say you got ripped off. I got a 2600, 7800, Starpath Supercharger with 4 games, ~40 7800 carts and ~100 2600 carts for nothing from a co-worker a few years ago, so there.    

 

Cap

 

No, I guess I didn't pay much attention to the Waterworld remark, if it's worth that much, then obviously you got a decent deal. I'd certainly never pay that much for a 2600 game, no matter how rare, especially the Swordquest series which I thought sucked back in the day, but that's just me. I was refering strictly to the 4 switch with the controllers and 40 games-without Waterworld, that would have been a rip-off. I didn't mean to offend you, I just couldn't believe anyone would pay that much for a 2600 set-up with only 40 games. It really shocked me since I did get my setup for so cheap. Congrats on the free collection from a friend, I've gotten lots of free game stuff from people before too, like an entire C64 setup and a Playstation with games, etc. But I do think you made out a lot better with the free stuff than with the 2600 setup, even with Waterworld.

 

As far as the toenail collector comment, I don't care if it was Elvis or God himself, anyone collecting toenails is disgusting and an idiot.

 

I also think that people who go by supply and demand are idiots too, on the buying end of it, although I'd sure take their money if they let themselves be duped just because something is rare...to me it takes QUALITY first, and then rarity, before I buy. I certainly wouldn't pay more than a couple bucks for Waterworld, even if it is worth a couple hundred...but if I found one in the wild for cheap, I'd certainly sell it to a sucker for that much...I think you should sell it myself.

[Raijin Z]

I got a Macintosh LCII for $7 at a Goodwill store outside of Pittsburgh last week. The whole shebang, minus an external CD drive that I can get at a Youngstown area Goodwill. I missed out on some semi-rare NES games at the Goodwill in town because I couldn't get a ride there until a week after I first found them. -_-

[bangles66]

Raijin Z wrote

 

 

I missed out on some semi-rare NES games at the Goodwill in town because I couldn't get a ride there until a week after I first found them

 

Sorry to hear that.

 

My first rule of collecting.

 

If you see something you want GET IT, because it won't be there when you return.

 

I missed out on a few things in the distant past by not grabbing it when I saw it. After the second time that's it never again. If I see something I want I get it right then, because I know if I wait when I return it will be gone.

[AtariDude]

Very true.

 

Sometimes that might be the only chance you get to obtain a particular item so best to take the opportunity to get the item before someone else does.

[Raijin Z]

In hindsight, I should have used the old Blockbuster tactic. Take the game you want, hide it behind the case nobody would look behind. Back in the day, we'd put Mario Kart behind The First Samurai or Bubsy.

[AtariDude]

So you were the one that was trying to hide Mario Kart!

 

I was wondering why I always had trying renting that tire

[AtariDude]

oopss..typos all over the place.

 

I meant to say that I always had trouble finding that title.

 

Must be getting tire..ummm....tired.

[Sparkonian]

Damn. That explains why for years I thought Mario Kart was just a Bubsy clone.

[Raijin Z]

That would be Aero the Acro·Bat.